The Premier Magazine For Home Fashions

Editor's View
August 2018

Reaching Consumers In 2019

By Wanda Jankowski

With more than half of 2018 in the rearview mirror, a look at trends on track for growth in 2019 is in order. Trendwatching.com offers insights into what is to come in its “The Future Of Retail” online article. Influencing consumer expectations and retail sales in 2019 will be:

• The Magic Point Of Sale. Increasingly, consumers will expect products to be summoned up and purchased “like a genie from a lamp” with pointing and clicks via apps and mobile devices. Their expectations for immediate personalization and relevance will also continue to rise.

• Deep Retail Growth. Data collection and analysis techniques will enable smart retailers and brands to ascertain and anticipate consumers’ deepest preferences so that purchase options can be offered in a timely way.

• Establishing Internal Culture Clubs. Trendwatching suggests that brand identity is reflected in internal culture, so it is in the brand’s best interest to enable its employees to flourish. Consumers will be drawn to brands that treat their own people well.

• The Flourishing Of A-Commerce (automated-commerce). The coming year will bring more attention to automating the customer’s purchasing journey on higher levels. For example, subscription services that “do the thinking for consumers” by selecting relevant products for them or automatically replenishing necessities will be employed to generate ongoing purchases.
• Practical Post-Demographics Increase. Post-demographic consumerism refers to the concept that people are creating their own more individualized identities, so consumption patterns can no longer be well-defined by traditional demographic segments, such as age, gender, location and income. Moving forward, diversity will be key, with brands and retailers needing to cater to a developing range of niche and currently marginalized groups to remain relevant.

In spite of continuing social and economic changes, Trendwatching.com reminds us that there are unchanging human needs that will remain key drivers in the future retail landscape, such as consumers’ desire for:
Greater convenience
Better value
Excitement
Meaning
Status
Relevance
Authenticity
Social Connection